1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stringed musical instruments, and, in particular to the adjustment of the instrument's string action.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stringed musical instruments normally include the following elements: a headstock with tuners; a neck with fingerboard; a body; a bridge secured to the body with a saddle; and, one or mores strings stretched from the headstock over the neck and fingerboard and over a portion of the body to contact points on the bridge saddle.
The height of the strings relative to the neck and its fingerboard is generally referred to as the string's action. Often a musician will choose to have the instrument's action set to different heights depending on the type of music being played or playing style favored. Certain musicians prefer to have a small distance between the fingerboard and string or “low” action, while others prefer a “high” action for various reasons, one of which is to avoid fret buzzing. Action is subject to personal preference and can have a major affect on performance. The present invention is directed to a string instrument wherein the string's action is adjustable upon pivotal movement of the neck relative to the body, and wherein the body can be solid or hollow.
The prior art is replete with stringed musical instruments wherein the neck is pivotable relative to the instrument's body. Examples may be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,362,838, Bunker; 6,831,218, Steinberger; 6,265,648, Steinberger; 6,051,766, Taylor; 5,679,910 Steinberger; 5,458,035, Okamura; 5,421,233, Bunker; 5,018,423, Bunker, et al.; 4,295,403, Harris; 3,251,257, Bunker; 2,793,556; Maccaferri 1,707,192, Overton; 1,671,942, Strupe; and, 457,996, Kraske.
However, the prior art arrangements wherein the neck is pivotable relative to the instrument's body suffer from the following disadvantages that are overcome by the present invention: do not adjust string action, is not instantly adjustable or requires disassembly or multiple adjustments; unsuitable for solid body instruments; degradation of the instrument; require excessive hardware or apparatus; and, may be difficult to produce in a production environment.
Another approach to adjustment of string action may be found in my U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,634, issued Jan. 2, 2007, but in this patent, there is no change in the angle of the neck relative to the instrument's body.